Guard for foot presses



Nov. 19, 1929.

G. w. LANE GUARD FOR FOOT PRESSES Filed Aug. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet G. W'Lazza ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 1929. G. w. LANE 1,736,708

GUARD FOR FOOT PRESSES Filed Aug. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z3 v mvzmon ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 19, 1929 PATENT OFFICE Y GEORGE W. LANE, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND GUARD FOR FOOT PRESSES Application filed August 27, 1928. Serial No. 302,268.

Mypresent invention has reference to foot pedal operated presses for stamping metal and has particular reference to that type of presses employed by manufacturers of jewelry, and my object is the provision of a press of this type with a guard which is actuated by the movement of the punch carrying plunger or ram and imparted a swinging movement between the punch and the die,

prior to the contact of the punch with the die to eject and prevent the hands or the finger of the operator being caught between the die and punch and thereby obviate in juries to the operator which frequently occur 5 through his lack of foresight in withdrawing his hand or fingers before the punch approaches the die.

While my improvement is primarily adapt ed for employment in connection with the type of presses employed by manufacturers of jewelry, the same is not to be restricted to this particular type of presses, and a further and important objectof the invention is the provision of a protective guard for presses which may be either foot or power actuated and which is of a construction whereby the same may be readily attached to any ordinary type of such presses, adjustable with respect thereto, and which, when not required for use, such for instance, as when-the punch and die are being replaced, may be swung to inactive position.

For a full and comprehensive understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which form part of this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the application of my improvement on an ordinary jewelers press, the dotted l ne showing the improvement swung to 1nact1ve position.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the roller carrv-' ing clamp which is removably attached to the ram or plunger of the press. I A press, in the drawings is broadly ind cated by the numeral 1. The bed 2 of this press rests on a suitable table. From its rear end the bed is integrally formed with an upwardly arched standard 3 which carries the front 4 for the press, the said front being disposed at a suitable distance above the bed. The portion of the press which I have termed the front 4 has arranged for reciprocation.

therein the usual ram or plunger 5. The body of the ram 5 is formed with an opening for the reception of the curved or arched end of the operating lever 6 to whose lower end there is attached the foot operating pedal, (not shown). Thefoot operating pedal is. normally influenced in an upward angle by the usual spring. As such construction is old and well known in the art it is not thought necessary to illustrate the same, it being understood that the ram 5 is normallyin a raised position. The ram carries at its lower end the cylindrical chuck 7 in which is removably received the punch 8. Below the punch'there is secured to or resting on the bed 2 a holder 9 for a die 10 that is designed to be contacted by the punch and to stamp metal arranged upon the die when the foot pedal is operated. r 1

In the showing of the drawings the head or front 4; of the press body has one of its sides formed with a lower outstanding boss 11 and anupper outstanding boss 12. These bosses preferably have outwardly projected split screw extensions 13 and 14, respectively. Inward of the threads each of the extensions 13 and 14 are non-threaded and on the non threaded portion of the extension 13 and the boss 11 there is pivotally connected what I will term the upper end of a plate 15 that forms an important element of the improvement. The plate from its pivotal connection with the body or frame of the press is formed with an offset extension in the nature of an ear 16 and to this ear there is secured one end of a helical spring 19, the second end being arranged around the non-threaded portion of the boss 12. Nuts 20 and 21 are screwed on the threaded extensions 13 and 14 of the bosses. The plate 15 is of a length whereby 9 lOQ which for distinction is indicated by the numeral 23.

There is screwed through threaded openings in the plate 15, adjacent to the outer edge thereof, headed bolts 24 and these bolts pass through an elongated slot 25 in a flat arm 26. The arm is in the nature of a metal plate or strip and has fixed on its lower end a rightangularly arranged rod 27.

Designed to be arranged on what I have termed the chuck portion 7 of the press there is a substantially C-shaped clamp 28, Through one of the arms of this clamp there is threaded a binding screw 29 which, of course, contacts with the part 7 of the press and adjustably holds the clamp 28 thereon. The clamp 28 has what I will term its outer face straight or flat and the said flat surface adjacent to the inner edge of the clamp is formed with a threaded opening for the reception of the screw end of a headed bolt member 30. Only the end of the bolt that enters the clamp is threaded and there is arranged around the bolt a roller 41. The clamp is adjusted so as to arrange the roller for travel on the cam surface or edge 23 of the plate 15. In operation it will be apparent that when the ramor plunger is moved clown- Wardly, the roller 41 will travel over the cam edge or surface 23 of the plate 15, thereby imparting a swinging motion to the plate, causing the rod 27 to travel outwardly between the punch 8 and the die 10, before the said punch reaches the die. The result is that should the operator inadvertently place his fingers or hand in the space between the die and punch the same will be contacted by the rod 27 and swept out of such space, so that the metal may be effectively pressed without any liability of danger to the hand or fingers of the operator. hen pressure upon the operating pedal 0f the device is relieved, the spring 19 will return the device to its initial position, the spring influenced pedal returning the rain or plunger to its upward or initial position.

By providing the plate 15 with the adjustable flat arm or strip 26 and likewise by providing the adjustable clamp 38, it will be noted that my improvement may be successfully employed on stamping presses of different sizes and types. Then it is desired to replace the punch and die the'improvement is swung to the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, the spring 19 holding the same elevated, and when the punch is again to be operated it is merely necessary to swing the improvement from the said dotted line position to the full line position in the said Figure 1.

The simplicity ofmy construction and the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly understood and appreciated after the foregoing description has been carefully read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Obviously I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details herein set forth and, therefore, hold myself entitled to make changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A safety appliance for metal stamping presses, comprising a plate which is pivotally secured to one side of the head of the punch, spring means between the plate and punch for influencing the same in one direction with respect tothe said punch, said plate-having a lower lateral extension whose upper edge is arranged at an angle to provide a cam surface, a C-clamp adjustably fixed on the plunger of the press, a roller journaled on the clamp for travel on the cam surface of the plate, an arm adjustably secured to the plate and extending therebeyond, an angle extension on the end of the arm movable between the punch of the plunger and the die of the press, upon the downward movement of the plunger incident to the travel of the 

